Karma Trixie and Friends

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

This morning as I was greeting parents and kids as they arrived in the drop off lane at school, there was much talk and anticipation of the Inauguration of Barack Obama happening later that day. One parent says he clearly remembers as a child watching and hearing Kennedy's famous speech when he took the Oath of Office on a January day so long ago. I knew that I wanted to see this today, but I did not think so much about the impact on the children that are so much a part of my life through work. Fortunately a couple of our teachers were on the ball and were trying to make it happen via the internet and projection devices. The web was in full throttle and getting a picture and continuous feed was near impossible. All our students (K-4th) and all the 6th-12th students from Bridge School (we share a building) comfortably crowded into our auditorium to watch as two projectors showed a choppy live video. At the very last minute before things got underway, I quick brought in a boom box and with the radio going, we were able to hear continuous audio. The kids were quiet and rapt with attention. And while the kindergarteners had some clay to keep their hands busy and to themselves, most were clearly paying attention. All these kids from 4 years to 17 years....just what were they thinking? What exactly did they hear? What will they take to heart and remember from this day?

Bianca and I wanted to personally capture this auspicious moment in American (USA) and World history by taking a few photos. Okay, clearly it was my idea and Bianca went along begrudgingly....but as you can see we ended in fits of giggles.

Maybe it was the Barackti Chai talking...the what? It's a chai tea blend put out by a local Boulder company that contains Fair Trade Black Tea, organic sugar, fresh ginger juice, cardamom, black pepper, other spices, and Kenyan coffee (yes, like Africa Kenya)...Bhakti is Sanskrit for devotion through social action. (www.BhaktiChai.com)....let me tell you, it's good stuff on a cold Rocky Mountain winter day!

We listen to a lot of books on tape on our daily hour commute to work and school (most days our car is full up with fellow carpooler-friends!) and we just finished a story about the Lost Boys of Sudan during the droughts of the late 1990's. To say there is quite a contrast between our local kids' lifestyle and abundance with that of the children in that part of Africa is a gross understatement. The three girls in my car, ages 6-9, listened intently to the gravely serious lives of children their own age. Why does life have to be that way? How can change happen? Service? Relationships? Love? We'll shall see....

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Welcome to our blog! I put this together lickity split...These pictures started in September 2008 and go to December 24th....remember to go all the way to the end to see every post...also you can click on any picture to make it full screen....Merry Christmas!